Social Impact From Rural Connectivity

The GSMA has been working with three mobile operators in Tanzania to support the industry to expand commercially sustainable network coverage for mobile internet services to underserved rural populations. In 2017 the project launched the pilot phase of this first tri-party network infrastructure sharing initiative in Africa being implemented by Airtel, Tigo (Millicom), and Vodacom. The project has received Government support from the Ministry of Works, Transport & Communications and UCSAF. The three operators have now launched six rural 3G pilot sites within Tanzania’s identified priority coverage locations to test the commercial sustainability of mobile broadband service provision to underserved citizens across rural areas of the country.

Three months after the first rural sites were activated, the GSMA has returned to see the impact in the communities who can now access 3G mobile services. The video highlights the challenges for operators in commissioning rural locations, as well as the rural communities experience of the internet and the wide array of economic, educational, and social advantages mobile broadband provides.